Memories and meditations
by spectre666
Summary: An AU with a different slant. An experiment.
1. Chapter 1

Memories and meditations

I.

The students watched in respectful silence as the master walked through the gates. The youngest looked startled and worried, the master never left the school, never. When the gates shut behind their teacher, the older students began to gather in small groups, to whisper and wonder.

A very timid five year old gathered her courage and approached the group of teachers that stood to one side. "Please..." she began hesitantly.

"Yes, child?" the senior instructor asked with a smile.

The little girl fidgeted nervously, twisting her body side to side. "The Sensei...is he coming back?"

The teacher dropped to one knee to look into the small one's worried eyes. "Why are you worried, child, would you miss him?"

Tears appeared in the emerald eyes, "Yes, ma'am, I love him."

"So do we all, child, so do we all."

The little girl gulped, then blurted, "He held me."

The teacher placed her hand on the girl's shoulder in comfort and reassurance, "When?"

"The...the first few nights I was here. I was homesick...and...and ...scared, and crying. He came into the room and carried me into the garden and held me."

"Do you remember what he said?"

"Nothing, he just held me until I went to sleep. When I woke up I thought I'd had a dream, but it happened every time I cried at night."

"When did he stop?"

"I got comfortable, and made some friends, and didn't cry anymore."

The teacher hugged the child tightly, then released her and stood. "He loves you, girl. He loves all his students."

As the instructor turned back to her conversation, a small hand tugged on her gi. "He **is** coming back?"

The teacher turned back, "Tonight child, he will return tonight."

"Where does he go?" The little girl's curiosity demanded.

"No one knows. Now go to your class, child, you have important things to learn." The instructor turned away in dismissal.

II.

To the child huffing along the mountain path, nothing was more important to learn than that her beloved master was safe. He was an old man, why he must be at least forty. He needed someone to protect him, to watch his back. To keep the mountain monsters at bay. And wasn't she the top of her class?

Panting around a bend in the trail the girl came to an abrupt halt. There, leaning against a boulder, was her master.

"Child, why do you follow me?" He demanded.

She took hope and courage that he didn't appear angry, just curious.

Trying to stop gasping, she managed, "To...'tect..."

His eyes gleamed with amusement. "I see, you want to. ah, 'have my back' as it were."

"Yes, sir."

He stood from the boulder, taking the three steps necessary to loom over her. "Do you think I cannot protect myself. Do you think your teacher is that much of a loser?"

She flinched, but looked up defiantly, "No, sensei, I was worried, the mountain monsters..."

His frown suddenly bloomed into a loving smile as he lifted her to sit astride his shoulders. "Then come, you can watch much better from up there."

The girl gasped a time or two in fright at the unaccustomed height, then looked around in enjoyment as he began to jog up the path.

III.

She sat up, knuckling her eyes, "Sensei?"

"Yes, child?"

"Where are we?"

"A favorite view of mine. You must promise not to come here until you are older."

"All right." She yawned, a safe promise, as she had no idea where they were, having fallen asleep some time back. She wandered over to stand beside her master's shoulder. "It's beautiful."

She looked from a peak onto valleys ridges, shaded by clouds and trees. No building was in sight, but she thought she could see some deer grazing in a valley below. "How did you find it?"

"Many years ago, I roamed these mountains for days, looking for peace or oblivion. Instead I found this." He pointed at a flower blooming on the ledge. "I think this is the only place in the world where they grow."

She looked closely and giggled, "It's the color of my hair!"

"Yes, the exact color of your hair, child, and of one other."

Her eyes widened, "My mother?"

He nodded solemnly.

"Do, do you know my mama?"

"Many years ago and far away."

She gazed at him in wonder, "How?"

His smile grew wider, "That is a story for another day. Would you like to hear a story of a hero who always lost?"

"All right." She crept closer, chuckling when her teacher snatched her into his lap. "But how could he be a hero if he always lost?"

"To be a hero does not mean that you win always, it means that you try, with all you have. Now shush, and I will tell you a story of a boy, long ago and far away."

XXXXXXXX

A/N This is an A/U I'm exploring. I had a wild thought, and decided to start typing and share it. Please let me know what you think. Thanks


	2. Chapter 2

Memories and Meditations: Chapter 2

I.

She squirmed against his thighs, getting comfortable for her story.

"Ready?"

"Yes, sir."

"All right. Once upon a time there was a..." He felt her slump. Looking down, he could barely see, sticking out past her hair, the quivering lip. "What? I just started and you don't like it?"

"Well, you see," she turned her head up to look at him, "once upon a time stories are all about princesses." Her face twisted with disgust.

"You don't like princesses?"

"No. All they do is sit around and wait for some dorky prince to rescue them."

"What would you do if you were the princess?"

"I'd rescue myself. Then I'd rescue the prince." She nodded up at her teacher solemnly, "princes are always gettin' into trouble, y'know."

His shoulder's shook silently, "Not the princess in my story. She rescued and helped many people. She saved her kingdom and helped people in many ways."

"Oh, all right then. Go ahead." She settled herself back agains his chest.

"Once upon a time..." the sensei paused, but the girl waited patiently, "in a faraway place called Middleland..."

"My home's called Middleton."

"Yes, I know, hush, there lived a young squire. He wasn't very handsome, he had big ears, freckles, and a shock of unmanageable blonde hair. The other squires and the knights and nobles looked at him with laughter, or contempt. He wasn't disliked, he was just ignored except when the time came to find someone to pick on. For you see, he wasn't a very good fighter, and he was scared of many, many things."

"Poor squire, what was he scared of?"

"It would be easier to answer what he wasn't scared of. Bugs frightened him, as did monkeys, and heights, horses and squirrels, many, many things. But his greatest fear was that he would lose the one thing he held precious, the one thing he treasured most in all the world."

"What was that?"

"The friendship of the princess. She was his opposite in many ways. Where he was tolerated, she was loved and had many devoted friends. Where he was frightened, she was brave. She was a skilled fighter, while he could barely survive the practice field. They were opposites in almost all ways, but their friendship had grown since they were children, when she saved him from a rampaging stampede of field mice. But he had one great secret, and one great strength, and they were both the same."

"What's that?"

"He was in love with the princess, with his whole heart and soul, he loved her. And his greatest fear was that she would find out, and laugh at him and leave."

"Why would she do that?"

"She had many suitors, many noble, handsome and brave men who wished to marry her. He was just a lowly squire, who followed her to hand her her weapons in battle, and sometimes he would get in the way and have to be rescued so that the princess couldn't win a complete victory."

"I don't think I like her."

"You don't know her yet, wait."

"Ok, but she better do somethin'."

"One day, a handsome prince came to the kingdom to meet the princess he had heard so much about. He impressed her father, the king, with his responsible attitude and calm demeanor. He charmed the queen, although she looked at him with cynical eyes. When the princess saw him, she was immediately entranced. The princess worried though, that he would be put off when she bested him on the practice field, which she did later that day. The prince laughed at his defeat, and congratulated the princess on her skill. She fell deeper under his enchantment."

"Just 'cause he wasn't a sore loser?"

"Don't forget, he was very handsome also. The squire watched from the side of the field, his heart heavy that his princess was enthralled. Later, in private, she told him all about the prince. How handsome he was, how rich, how funny, how..."

"And the squire listened?"

"He loved her, if all he could offer was an ear, she could have both."

"Ewwww..."

"Now among the many foes the princess had defeated was the evil Dragon with his helper Ogehs. They plotted and planned to overthrow the king and take the throne for themselves. But the princess always defeated them. Now, though, the sorcerer was sure his plan would work. He was so sure, he wouldn't even tell Ogehs, for fear it would jinx things."

"That's silly."

"He could be a silly sorcerer. So, the princess continued to spend more and more time with the prince, and less and less time with the squire. He watched them from the shadows, and felt his heart break. He had always feared he would lose her, but now he was watching it happen, much sooner than he had hoped."

Sniff...

"Are you all right?"

"Fine", sniff, "what happened then?"

"The squire went to his and the princesses' special place, a little tavern he had found when he was once lost. The food was wonderful, and no one at the court except he and the princess knew about it. The princess would dress in very casual clothes and go with him. In the special place, no one knew she was a princess, and no one knew he was only a squire. They could talk and laugh and share their worries with no one bothering them."

"Din't he ask the princess to meet him?"

"He felt she was lost to him. That only her memory would ever appear at the special place again."

"Ahhhh."

"Yes. On his way to the tavern, he saw many children with new toys. Little red and black dolls that they seemed to love very much. When he reached the special place, he looked through the window and what do you think he saw?"

She wrinkled her nose in thought, "More dolls?"

"Right. And guess who was giving them out?"

"The dragon and Ogehs?"

"Correct. You are smart. Anyway..."

"Aww, I don't believe that."

"Why not?"

"The kids wouldn't be dumb enough to take dolls from strangers, 'specially if they knew they were evil."

"The children had few toys, and the villains were in disguise."

"Ok, no wait, that still doesn't explain how squire knew them if they was 'quised."

"He knew them very, very well, from the princesses fights with them."

"Oh, ok, go ahead."

"Sure?"

"Uh-huh."

"All right. When he saw the two villains, squire knew something was very wrong and that he had to warn the princess. Before he could run, though, Ogehs saw him in the window and warned the Dragon. The evil wizard laughed at the thought of the squire being a danger, but sent his helper to capture him anyway. Squire ran as fast as he could, and when he would run out of breath he would hide. But Ogehs always found him and the chase would start over.

"Finally, long after dark, squire managed to evade her enough to get into the castle and hurry to the princess."

"And she went out and beat up Ogehs!" The young one clapped her hands in glee.

"No, the princess refused to believe squire. She thought he was jealous of the prince, so she had him removed from her ball room."

"Noooo."

"Yes. She told the guards to be gentle, but as soon as they were out of the princesses' sight, they cuffed and kicked him, then threw him out the gates of the castle, into the night."

"Meanies!"

"Very. And waiting outside was Ogehs. She laughed at squire, demanding to know if he really thought the princess would listen to a loser like him. Then she threw one of the dolls at him."

"She threw a doll at him? That can't have hurt."

"No, but as soon as the doll struck him and bounced to the ground, it began to grow, and grow, until it was twenty feet tall, armored, and carrying weapons. Then she set the doll to destroy him."

"No, not the squire."

"And the squire stood in fear, and watched his doom approach."


	3. Chapter 3

Memories and meditations: Chapter 3

I.

"Nuff!" A sniffling voice came from the master's lap.

"What? Don't you want to hear the rest of the story?"

"No!"

"Why not?'

"'Cuz...cuz, you're gonna kill squire," An audible swallow, "an I like him. He's weird but I like him. I don' want the doll to kill him." A tiny sob came from the child.

"Shhh, shhh, I promise, the doll won't kill squire."

"Swear?"

"I swear. I won't say squire won't get hurt, but the doll doesn't kill him."

"Ok." The child wiped her nose and eyes on her sleeve and settled back. "Go ahead."

"Sure?" A nod of the small head, "All right. When squire awoke, his first joyous thoughts were that he was alive. His last thoughts, watching the fist reach for his head had been of despair, he had failed his princess, his friend. Now, unbelievably still alive, he had a chance. He could still do something. His eyes fluttered open to see two green eyes staring into his own. He couldn't help himself, he screamed. The eyes jerked back until the mint skin and long ebony hair of Ogehs were revealed.

'Well, the clown is awake', she sneered at him. She turned to yell at her master, 'hey, Dragon, the fools awake.'

The sorcerer looked up from the cauldron he was adding ingredients to, 'Good, I'll be with him in a moment.'

'I don't see why I couldn't kill him,' Ogehs sulked. 'It would have been so easy.' She held up one clawed hand, 'wouldn't have even broken a nail.'

"A fingernail?"

"Ogehs was very proud of her long sharp claws."

"Ok, go ahead."

"Where was I? Oh, yes... The sorcerer sneered at his helper, 'I told you why, I need to know who he told.'

'I told you, nobody listened to him. They threw him out of the castle.'

'And what was he doing the tavern? Who knew we were there and sent him to spy?' The sorcerer returned to his potion.

Ohehs didn't have an answer so she turned her back to continue staring hungrily at squire. He had heard very bad things about the demoness, and he was certain he didn't want to confirm any of the rumors. Bound hand and foot, squires fear had kept his gaze centered on the two evil doers. When the demoness' glare turned back to him, though, his eyes skittered away, glancing all around the room. At the very end of his circling gaze, his eyes locked on a statue. But not just any statue, this was a statue of his second greatest fear, a monkey. A statue so realistic squire thought it was alive. His eyes bugged and his mouth gasped as he tried to scream in terror. But nothing emerged.

Ogehs, however, saw his reaction and followed his gaze to the monkey. Her black eyebrows quirked in derision as she walked over to retrieve the gold figure. Squire's eyes glazed in terror a Ogehs walked toward him, the stature thrust in front of her. 'Is the hero afraid of a stature? Monkey's do something to the hero?' Standing before the bound boy, Ogehs snickered as she thrust the monkey in his face. Each terrified flinch as the statue got closer and closer increased the loudness of her laughter. Until even Dragon noticed.

'Ogehs.' The wizard shouted, 'what are you doing with that?'

'Just having a little fun.'

'Well, put it down and come here. I told you that thing was useless.'

'If it's useless, why do you keep it?' Ogehs asked, continuing to torment the squire.

'I keep it in case I ever need money. I can melt it down and sell the gold. Now would you get over here?'

'All right, all right, keep your robe on.' To the squire's frozen fear, the demon set the statue on his chest, it's lifeless eyes staring directly into his horror dilated ones. 'Enjoy, monkey boy.' The evildoer laughed cruelly before turning to her master. 'What's so important?' She asked, walking toward him.

'Here, hold this,' the sorcerer handed the green demon a large beaker, 'I need to have all the potions exactly right.' He glanced up, 'Well?'

His assistant stared at him defiantly, 'I do the mayhem and murder bit, Dragon, I don't do the fetch and carry.'

The sorcerer stared at his familiar in frustrated fury. His mouth opening and closing before he managed to shout, 'Fine! I'll do it myself, but you can forget Redland.'

The wizard muttered viciously as he pulled various vials and bottles from the shelves, assembling them on a table beside the cauldron. He surveyed his plunder with pleasure, before frowning, and falling to his knees to search frantically on the bottom shelf. 'Ah hah! I knew it was here.'

'What was where?' Ogehs asked, inspecting her nails.

'You'll see, Ogehs, you'll see.' The evil magician gloated, 'When this is done, my demon drones will not only be unbeatable, they will be indestructible. They will be...Unstoppable!'

XXXXXXX

I realize this is short, the next chapter concludes. It will be longer and have some surprises. Hope you'll hang around.


	4. Chapter 4

Meditations and Memories: Chapter 4

I.

"As the princess danced with her handsome prince, she..."

A firm tug on his gi made the master look down into indignant brown eyes. "Yes?"

"What about Squire?"

"He's in the wizard's lair."

"I knows that, what happened?" The little one frumped, "Who cares about a princess," she pulled the silk of his clothing insistently, "what did Ogehs do to Squire?"

"You don't want to hear about the princess's party? Her lovely dress and the beautiful music?"

"No, what happened to Squire?"

"You're certain?"

"Yes, Squire!"

"All right," the master frowned thoughtfully, "Now where was I..."

"Monkey on chest...unstoppable demons...Ogehs!"

"Oh, yes...

Squire stared at the lifeless golden eyes in front of him in paralyzed fear. But behind his fear, was shame. How could he be such a coward as to be palsied by a statue? A lifeless...

_'Not lifeless, merely inanimate.' _A voice seemed to whisper in the boys mind. 'Huh?' he thought, shocked, was he going insane as well as cowardly?

The voice whispered to him again, '_I am the spirit of the...' _'You're a genie?' _'No, I am the spirit of the...'_ 'I thought you guys had to live in bottles.' the squire thought, semi hysterically.

**_'I am not a GENIE!' _**Squire thought the voice drew a breath, '_I am the spirit of the...aren't you going to interrupt me again?'_

'No, no, go right ahead. If I'm losing my mind the least I can do is be polite to it while I still have it.'

_'What...never mind, I am the spirit of the Mystical Monkey...' _

Squire screamed in his mind. 'Ahhhhh, monkeys...no mon...'

**_"Quiet!'_** There was a pause in Squire's thoughts. _"Are we going to have to go through this again?'_

Without a change in it's expression, squire some how got the impression that the idol was frowning at him. 'No, no, being quiet now. (monkeys, why doe's it always have to be monkeys).'

_'As I was saying, I am the spirit of the Mystical Monkey Power, and you have been chosen to receive my gift.'_

Squire still thought he was loosing his mind, but decided he might as well enjoy the trip. 'Well, I'm always up for a gift, but why me?'

_'Because you are pure of heart.'_

'That's it? I'm pure of heart?' Squire questioned, 'I mean, that's nice and all, but couldn't you find somebody that's a better fighter to give your gift to? Somebody who might, say, get me outta here!'

'_Calm down, there is no need to worry.'_

'That's easy for you to say, you're a statue, greeny over there isn't looking at you like you're the main item on the menu.'

_'The demoness will not harm you.'_

'Really? That's certainly nice to...wait a minute, **why** won't she harm me?'

'_Because you will defeat her.'_

'Uh huh, right, ok, now I know I've lost my mind. Such a shame, lots of people said it was hardly used, almost brand new.'

'_**You are not losing your mind!'** You...you...all right, deep breath, I can do this, then I can get back to my brothers. Now, I am going to give you the gift, you must say after me...SUPERCALIFRIGILIOUSEXPEALIDOTIOUS.'_

'Monkey Dude, I think you've got that wrong, isn't it supercalifragilisticexpealidotious?'

_'What?'_

'You said it wrong.'

'_I did not, I said it correctly. Just because you stupid mortals can't listen right.'_

'You still said it wrong.'

_'Did not, you did.'_

'No, you did.'

'_You.'_

'No, you.'

_'No, you.'_

'You.'

_'You...you...never mind, just say the word!'_

"Uh...what was it again?'

_'Supercal...supercaladala...super...**Just take it!'**_

I don't want it!' Squire screamed immediately.

**_'Did I ask? I'm outta here!'_**

And with that the monkey idol disappeared in a blinding golden flash.

"Are you laughing at my story?"

"The monkey" giggle, "he..he couldn't 'member neither."

"Well, even if he was a spirit, he was still just a monkey spirit. Spelling was never a monkey's strong point."

The little girl giggled some more, "Sides, they both got it wrong."

"Are you certain?"

"Yep, it's ..."

"No, don't tell me." Sensei moaned, "I may get permanent brain freeze."

The child's laughter doubled. When she began to calm down, Sensei asked, "Are you ready for the rest of the story?"

"Yep."

"No more laughing?" Sensei frowned in mock irritation.

The little girl placed her hands on her mouth.

"Promise?"

"Nope." Her eyes laughed at him.

Sensei sighed, "Ah, well..."

Dragon whirled at the flash from behind him. 'Ogehs! What did you do?'

'Nothing, I didn't do anything.' The demoness protested. 'I'm right here, how could I...'

'Then it was him.' Dragon pointed dramatically at the bound Squire. Then began glaring, 'You! Buffoon. What did you do with my golden idol?'

Squire blinked rapidly, shaking his head, trying to see, 'Me? In case you forgot, Deuben, I'm tied up here, a helpless prisoner, remember?'

'Oh, yes, that's right. Then who...What do yo mean "Deuben", it's Dragon you worthless...'

'He's not.'

'What was that, Ogehs?'

'He's not tied up!'

Squire's eyes finally focused and he raised them into his sight, 'Well, boo-yah, and bon diggety.'

When he saw the two villains staring at him, he fell from the table, staggering toward the door.

'Ogehs! I believe you said "mayhem and murder" were your function? How about a little mayhem?'

The green demoness cracked her knuckles, 'It won't be much exercise, but whatever you say, Dragon.' She leapt after Squire.

Reaching the door, Squire began frantically jerking it, to no avail. 'C'mon, c'mon.' he screamed. He pulled as hard as he could, and suddenly, the door came off it's hinges, falling into the room. 'Yes!' He exulted. But before he could leave, a large red fist from one of the demon dolls headed straight for his jaw.'

'Gotcha!' Ogehs yelled triumphantly, launching herself at the buffoon's back, 'Now I'll...'

Now, Squire wasn't good at a lot of things, but one of the things he was very, very good at, was ducking. He put this useful skill into action and the red fist flew over his head, straight into Ogehs's jaw, sending her flying backward into Dragon. Squire slid between the demon doll's legs and ran, never looking back. If he had, he would have seen the wizard careening into his equipment.

"What's that mean?"

"What?"

"What you said, 'carearing or something?"

"Oh, it means he stumbled into his shelving after Ogehs ran into him. Sort of staggering uncontrollably."

"Ok, go ahead."

"Sure?" The master hid his smile at the child's glare. "So..."

Squire ran wildly through the lair, finally finding some stairs. He climbed them, only to find himself in the main room of the inn he had run from earlier. No one was in the room, so he dashed to the door and ran for the castle, snatching up one of the dolls on the way. The doll would be his proof to the princess.

Terrified, sure that Ogehs would be after him, Squire ran faster than he ever had, finally reaching a side entrance to the castle. The guard let him in, ignoring the boys panting, disheveled, dirty appearance. He knew the squire was one of the princess's pets, it was late, and what could the boy do except go to his room and sleep. After all, it wasn't the first time the guard had seen Squire looking like that.

But instead of going to his room, Squire ran to a secret entrance he and the princess had discovered. Opening the concealed door, he ran, well, staggered up the staircase that led to the princess's quarters. Pausing at the door to catch his breath, he eased the hidden door open, in case any of the princess's ladies-in-waiting were still there. 'Princess?' He whispered, 'Princess, are you here?'

The lithe figure across the room whirled, 'Squire! How did you know?' The princess ran to Squire, hugging him tightly.

'Uh...HUH?' Squire mumbled intelligently.

Releasing her friend, the princess went back to girding on her armor, speaking over her shoulder. 'How did you know that there is foul play afoot? The prince and all his men have disappeared, and we are going to find them.'

'But...but...'

'What are you waiting for, go get your gear and let's get moving.' The princess returned to reach up and pat Squire's cheek.

'But...I...' Squire waved the demon doll at the princess.

'Oh, that is so sweet, you brought me one of those cute new dolls. And after I treated you so badly, too.' The princess hugged her friend tightly, 'I'm so sorry about that, I just didn't have time right then, but you can tell me now, what was the sitch?'

Squire looked at his princess, then looked at the doll she had snatched from his hands. 'Nothing, just my imagination.'

'Well, then, let's go.' The princess left her room with Squire trailing sadly behind.'

"Wait a minute, that's it?" The child protested when her sensei stopped.

"What else is there?" Sensei smiled.

"He's not gonna tell the princess? And what about Ogehs and Dragon? What about the demon dolls?" She crossed her hands on her chest, glaring at her master.

"How could he tell the princess, remember, the doll's didn't change. They remained cute, cuddly toys."

"Why? Why din't they change?"

"Remember when Ogehs was knocked into Dragon?"

She nodded.

"Well...when the sorcerer slammed into his shelves..."

'Ogehs! What have you done?' Dragon whimpered.

'Wadda ya mean me? I haven't done anything yet, but I'm gonna skin me a...'

'Never mind that, look!' He pointed his shaking hand at his cauldron.

Ogehs stared at the bubbling, foaming brew. 'What am I looking at?' She finally asked.

'You knocked pure salt into the brew, idiot, and when purity meets corruption...' Without warning the vile mixture gushered out of it's pot, covering the room and it's occupants in a slimy green goo. '...the results are explosive.' Dragon finished with a sigh.

'Ewwwww.' The greener demoness squealed, wiping frantically at her arms in a vain attempt to remove the snot like liquid. 'get it off!'

Dragon stood, slipping and sliding through the goo to his shrunken demon guard. Looking at it wistfully, he drew back his boot and kicked it across the room. 'Come Ogehs, this was a one time only spell, and soap and water will get the liquid off. Back to the lair.'

'Soap!' She glared,

'Yes, I know the cleanliness of soap is anathema to you, but it's the only way.' Dragon finally managed to reach the door, sliding through it.

Her long clawed toes giving her better traction, the demoness followed, 'And what do we do then?' She growled.

'The same thing we do every night, Greenie,..'

"Plan to take over the world!" The child burst out into laughter.

"Come," Sensei stood, swinging her on to his shoulders, "the sun is leaving, the night beckons, and I believe your bed is calling."

Still giggling, the little girl clasped her arms on his head, like the pommel of a saddle.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

The senior instructor watched as the sensei placed the child on her mat, carefully pulling the blanket around her, tucking her in. His hand caressed her hair for a moment, before he rose and quietly performed the same actions with the two other little girls asleep in the room.

As he passed her on his way out, the instructor bowed, "Sensei," she said softly, "the guards did not tell me you were back."

"They don't know." Seeing the anger in her eyes, he went on. "I am going to go back out and allow them to see me come in. Act as if you haven't seen me."

"Yes, master. Master...a question?"

"Yes?"

"These children, these young ones, you treat them as if they were your own. The comfortable mats, the cuddle toys, the soft blankets. They are to be ninjas, they must begin to be strong."

Sensei rubbed his neck thoughtfully. "You don't understand, old friend. All of my students are my children. But these three are so young. Two years younger than any of our others. All have had so much loss, so much hurt. Let them keep what little childhood they have left for a little longer."

She bowed deeply, "As you wish, Sensei." When she rose, he was gone.

_Epilogue:_

_She knelt before the aged, white bearded figure. "Revered Master, I am confused."_

_"Does he suspect?"_

_"I am not sure, Master, his treatment, and sometimes the look in his eye..."_

_"He has said nothing?"_

_"No, Master."_

_"Then continue. He must not know, not yet."_

_She genuflected deeply, head almost touching the floor, "Revered Master, forgive the impertinence, but why must the Chosen One not know his blood?"_

_"I have my reasons."_

_When she raised her eyes, her Sensei was gone._


End file.
